Mental disorders are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, disproportionately affecting older people. This study aims to assess the mental health of elderly individuals living in a deprived region of Hungary, and to identify and estimate the weight of different determinants of mental health across different age groups. A cross-sectional study was conducted with randomly selected samples of individuals (n = 860) aged 18 years and older in Northeast Hungary. The World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5), the single-item Life Satisfaction Scale, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used to measure mental health of the participants. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to measure the association between sociodemographic and health-related variables and mental health. Overall, the mean WHO-5 score was 69.2 ± 18.1 and it showed a significant decrease by age (p < 0.001), with the lowest score observed in aged 75 years and above (p < 0.001). The mean life satisfaction score was 7.5 ± 1.9 and it showed a significant decreasing trend over the life course (p < 0.001). The highest level of psychological distress as assessed by GHQ-12 was observed in the group aged 75 years or older (11.5 ± 6.0, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression indicated that self-reported financial status, social support, sense of control over their health, activity limitation and pain intensity were the most important determinants of mental health among older adults. Interventions to improve the mental health of older adults should focus on the positive impact of social support, the reduction of financial insecurity and the use of effective pain relief medications.

精神障碍是全世界残疾的主要原因之一，对老年人的影响尤为严重。本研究旨在评估生活在匈牙利贫困地区的老年人的心理健康状况，并确定和估计不同年龄组心理健康的不同决定因素的权重。对匈牙利东北部 18 岁及以上的随机抽取个体样本 (n = 860) 进行了一项横断面研究。采用世界卫生组织幸福指数（WHO-5）、单项生活满意度量表和12项一般健康问卷（GHQ-12）来衡量参与者的心理健康状况。进行多元线性回归分析来衡量社会人口统计学和健康相关变量与心理健康之间的关联。总体而言，WHO-5 平均得分为 69.2 ± 18.1，并且随着年龄的增长而显着下降 ( p  < 0.001)，75 岁及以上的得分最低 ( p  < 0.001)。平均生活满意度得分为 7.5 ± 1.9，并且在整个生命过程中呈现显着下降趋势 ( p  < 0.001)。根据 GHQ-12 评估，75 岁或以上群体的心理困扰程度最高（11.5 ± 6.0，p  < 0.001）。多元线性回归表明，自我报告的财务状况、社会支持、对健康的控制感、活动限制和疼痛强度是老年人心理健康的最重要决定因素。改善老年人心理健康的干预措施应侧重于社会支持的积极影响、减少经济不安全感以及使用有效的止痛药物。